Bill > S159

This bill mandates enhanced background checks for individuals seeking licenses from the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission (ABCC), requiring fingerprint-based checks against state and national criminal history databases before approving certain licenses, specifically those under sections 12 and 15, and potentially other licenses not explicitly listed. This requirement applies to applicants, individuals with beneficial interests in applicant businesses (including officers, directors, stockholders, members, or managers), and designated license managers, with an exemption for public stockholders holding less than ten percent of voting stock. The ABCC will receive and handle this criminal offender record information in accordance with existing laws governing such data, and authorized staff can disseminate it appropriately. Individuals subject to these checks will be responsible for paying associated fees, which will be deposited into a dedicated trust fund to cover the costs of operating and administering the background check system, including fees paid to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and staffing for the Department of State Police and the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS). The DCJIS will retain fingerprints for suitability verification and will disseminate check results to the ABCC, adhering to regulations on criminal offender record information. The ABCC is also required to amend its regulations to implement these provisions, potentially with a phased-in schedule starting no earlier than September 1, 2015, and the DCJIS will provide an annual report on the system's costs to relevant legislative committees.